Have been thinking about Halocaridina rubra for about a year. Finally decided to start putting together a tank about a month ago. So I've been extremely excited seeing all the new H. rubra posts on TPT of late.

Specs:

2.5gal tank

Small 50/50 CFL

Hydro Mini sponge filter

Caribsea "live" aragonite/crushed coral/sand to help get a small cycle of sorts going

1.012 specific gravity, which seems to be a popular brackish/salinity point for H. rubra keepers

Posted a couple teaser shots of the rock work on other journals, so here they are again:

Couldn't get my hands on large pieces of black lava rock that I liked, so I used reef epoxy putty to rig up a structure.

The tank a few minutes after being flooded:

Will add the sponge filter sometime today.

Hope to find some Chaetomorpha or other macro algae to thrive in the tank so it can legitimately be planted. Maybe a bit of Java Moss will survive? Guess we'll see.

The tank is situated on the fourth floor and has a 20L above and below it so it's holding at a steady 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit with no heater.

Now to let things settle for a week or two while monitoring parameters before ordering critters.

Filter would look way better if I stuck it in the left corner behind the lava rock structure. Butů decided it would be better if it was in an easier to access area of the tank. And I'm sure it will become a big time feeding ground for the shrimp.

Flow was cranked up in the photo but I've since turned it down. There's no serious current in the tank and the bubbles hit right at the surface so there's a bit of gas exchange. Aimed for minimal disturbance and think I finally found the right setting.

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